A Voice of Reason

Things to Do in Connecticut when you're Dead (Triple Crown)
by Tim Den

Both of these bands have been holding down the DIY fort in CT for a long time and deserve our respect, even if their music hasn't progressed past "average local opening band" maturity. Small Town Hero makes a fist out of raspy singing and driving rhythms, while A Voice Of Reason sticks with the Reach The Sky/old school formula. One surprise: A Voice Of Reason's "Like Static to the Heart," a semi-David Usher acoustic tune backed by swelling falsettos and a pulsing electronic beat, made me proud of the band's daring steps out of the hardcore genre.
(331 West 57th PMB 472 New York, NY 10019)